You are reading

Sunnyside Teacher Arrested For Allegedly Threatening to Shoot Students at Elmhurst School

A substitute teacher from Sunnyside was arrested Wednesday for threatening to shoot students at The Walter Crowley Intermediate School in Elmhurst (GMAPs)

July 22, 2021 By Christian Murray

A Queens substitute teacher was arrested Wednesday for allegedly threatening to shoot a class of middle school students if they did not listen to him.

Alejandro Rocha, a Sunnyside resident who was teaching at IS-5—The Walter Crowley Intermediate School in Elmhurst, allegedly made the disturbing remark at around 2 p.m.

“If you don’t do what you’re told, I’m going to shoot you. And yes, I have a gun,” Rocha allegedly said.

He was arrested hours later and charged with “making a terroristic threat,” police said.

He admitted to school officials that he made the comment but argued that it was a bad joke.

Rocha has been suspended, according to a Department of Education spokeswoman.

“This is absolutely unacceptable,” a DOE spokesperson said in a statement. “The substitute teacher was immediately suspended and if this deeply disturbing allegation is found to be true, he will be fired.”

Rocha began as a substitute teacher in September 2001 and has no prior disciplinary history, the department said. He has been suspended without pay and not currently eligible to work in city schools.

email the author: news@queenspost.com

One Comment

Click for Comments 

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Four injured in Queensboro Hill house fire fueled by e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries: FDNY fire marshals

FDNY fire marshals determined that lithium-ion batteries sparked a fire in a Queensboro Hill townhouse that injured three residents and a firefighter were injured a few blocks south of Kissena Corridor Park on Friday morning.

The blaze broke out in a home at 142-33 60th Ave. just before 5:30 a.m. The first firefighters on the scene found heavy fire emanating from the first floor that may have been sparked and intensified by the presence of lithium-ion batteries and a half-dozen e-bikes in the basement of the home.

Mayor Adams shares 90-day progress of Operation Restore Roosevelt

Jan. 22, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Operation Restore Roosevelt, a 90-day multi-agency initiative launched in October 2024 by Mayor Eric Adams and Council Member Francisco Moya to address quality-of-life issues along Roosevelt Avenue, has resulted in nearly 1,000 arrests and over 11,500 summonses. The operation focused on addressing community concerns such as prostitution, illegal brothels, unlicensed vending, retail theft, and other public safety challenges.